"So strong! Alicia got crazy strong!"
Leila's jaw nearly hit the floor as she stared at Alicia's back—the girl who had just ended Goliath with a single strike. She remembered when Alicia wasn't anywhere near this overwhelming. Kaguya too.
Her gaze, parked on the pair, turned puzzled. When did they get this strong? The blue energy staining Goliath… the crimson crescent Alicia carved out with one swing… everything screamed "secrets." Leila suddenly wanted to shake the truth out of both of them. Weren't they friends? How had they hidden so much?
Only now did a few things click into place. They used to train with everyone; then, at some point, Alicia and Kaguya started going off on their own. They'd said the group drills weren't intense enough—"You'll see the results soon."
So… this is the result?
"They've got a solid handle on that power," Finn murmured. "At this level of application, Alicia should be ahead of Ais by a fair bit."
"Mm," Gareth agreed. "Ais is behind Alicia in control. Ais leans into burst, Alicia leans into control. If Ais learns Alicia's finesse, her overall strength will jump."
Ais? Hearing Finn and Gareth, Leila whipped her eyes to Ais. Ais looked the same as ever—adorable, placid, unreadable. But the word "power" snagged in Leila's mind.
So… the power Alicia and Kaguya used—Ais has it too?
That stunned her. Two people sharing the same kind of "system"? It didn't look like ordinary magic. And since when could two different people receive comparable "magical power" to measure against each other?
Questions piled up. Curiosity burned hotter.
With Goliath down, the puppet appeared, folded the split magic stone and rare drops into another dimension with a wave, and the rear units quickly closed in.
"Alicia, you've gotten stronger," Ais said simply.
Alicia's grin went sunshine-bright; she flashed Ais a playful V.
"I worked hard for this Joint Expedition! We didn't spar lately because Kaguya and I were grinding for ages. Her 'Rain' is way more oppressive than our 'Storm.' The 'Calm' effect is ridiculous—my 'Storm' can't even come out properly."
At that, Ais's eyes lit up, turning toward Kaguya. She'd sparred Alicia in live drills, but not Kaguya. She'd never felt "Rain" directly; now she very much wanted to.
This blabbermouth… Kaguya covered her face. Sparring Ais wasn't light work. Beyond being a level higher, Ais's swordcraft in real combat was brutal—and she was even less inclined than Alicia to pull punches. Not easy to handle in "practice."
"Kaguya, fight me when we're back!"
For now, Ais still wore a child's open expressions; excitement made her look genuinely hopeful. Those bright, pleading eyes were hard to refuse.
"…All right—after the expedition," Kaguya relented.
"Mm."
Seeing that settled, Finn strolled over.
"You two, our priority is pushing floors. We're not stopping to rest on 18 today. Our goal is the safe zone on 28."
"The Amphisbæna that nested at the 'Great Azure Falls' died a week ago to Bete. There won't be a blockade there this time; getting through should be easier than usual."
He turned to address the wider crowd of curious comrades.
"As for the power Ais, Alicia, and Kaguya used—we'll discuss it properly when we reach the safe floor. It concerns everyone. Until then… look forward to it."
Concerns everyone!?
That sent the expedition's curiosity to a fever pitch. If anything, it made them hungrier to reach Floor 28—yes, for rest, but even more for answers.
"Advance!"
"Yeah!"
With the Goliath interlude behind them, the expedition surged forward at full tilt.
They passed straight through Rivira on 18, drawing a swarm of onlookers.
"Loki Familia and Astraea Familia—an expedition?"
"Then… isn't that team a bit small?"
Prompted, bystanders peered down the column. Under normal patterns, Finn's vanguard would be followed by a supply train. But the tail of today's column was all fighters—no pack lines, no tents, no carts. Odd.
"No supplies at all? How far can an expedition like that go? Maybe it's a short one?"
"Could be. They don't seem inclined to stop in Rivira and refit."
"If it's a short-range expedition without supply trains, fine—but a force this big can't go too deep. They don't even have kit for camps on safe floors."
"Unless Loki has a different way to replenish. If they run into trouble, they'll be back here to buy. Either way, we make our money."
"True enough."
Rivira had always thrived on moments like these. As a hub, its merchants profited most when others hit snags. No crisis, no coin.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]